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Hello from Moraine Camp! We just arrived to our cache, and are currently setting up our tents under the bluest skies so far on the trip. Spirits are high, and we presume we'll be moving to high camp tomorrow. Everyone sends their regards and asks for the cheering to continue on! Best, RMI Guide Elías de Andres Martos and crew

Today the Team took off after breakfast for Camp 1 located at 16,400’. We carried food and fuel with a little personal gear up to continue our acclimatization. The route from base camp winds through a series of scree slopes and the Relinchos glacier. This day is typically one of the more difficult stretches on Aconcagua due to the distance, elevation gain and first day with heavy packs above 14,000 feet. The weather began with a strong breeze that would bring gusts of 40 mph at times. The Team got to Camp 1 and put in the cache of food and fuel. With strong gusts of wind sweeping through camp there wasn’t much incentive to hang out. Everyone is back in Plaza Argentina and looking forward to our last rest day here before moving up the mountain. Tomorrow we’ll take it easy. RMI Guide Mike King

On The Map

RMI Guide Mike Walter reported in this afternoon that the team made it to the summit of Mt. Baker with 100% success! Mike reported that conditions were smoke free starting at 8,700' and were clear and calm on the summit. The team had a long day on a long route with a late season West Ridge variation. They will spend some time on top and begin their descent back to camp. Congratulations!

RMI Guide Mike Haugen and the Four Day Summit Climb July 22 - 25 reached the summit of Mt. Rainier around 6:30 AM. They enjoyed gorgeous weather and a light breeze on the summit. The team started their descent from the crater rim around 7:30 AM. Congratulations to today's Summit Climbers!

It's starting to feel a bit like Groundhog Day here on Aconcagua. All we needed to accomplish today was a carry of food and fuel to High Camp at 19,600'. Aside from that the group's only other task is to out chill the other groups in Camp. The weather has been getting better each day and this morning we decided to take advantage of a cool wind to aid us in our carry. By the time we descended the wind had died and the temperatures were getting hot on the snow slopes we traversed. We are all back in Camp now and while eager to move up and summit the Stone Sentinel, we'll take a rest day tomorrow to give us another two nights acclimating. Thanks for following along. RMI Guide Mike King

On The Map

Today we continued our trek up the Vacas Valley to Los Piedras.  The sun was scorching for most of the walk, but luckily, we are now enjoying a gentle drizzle as we relax in our tents.  We did manage to get our first glimpse of Aconcagua right before clouds began to roll over the peak.  I think the opinion is entirely unanimous that it is a stunning and dramatic mountain! Spirits are high and despite a sunburn or two, everyone is in excellent health and relishing in the beauty of the Vacas Valley.  Tomorrow we will start up the Relinchos Valley, where we will conclude our trek to base camp.  If you're thinking of us, then I'm sure someone here is thinking of you too.  Warmly, RMI Guides Steve Gately, Hannah McGowan and the Aconcagua team

May 22, 2016 - 11:34 p.m. PDT We climbed out of the tents this morning hopeful that we would head uphill to cache. Though there was a cap on the summit, the ridge of the West Buttress looked doable. As we fired the stoves though that situation began to change as the cap lowered and the winds over the Buttress picked up. By the end of breakfast we had changed our minds and decided to stay put. That was further reinforced when a climbing ranger stopped by to let us know that NOAA had called with a special weather advisory with high winds and snow. The rangers have taken to naming the storms; this one is Denali storm Daryl. We spent the day resting and hibernating in tents, though so far Daryl has been pretty gentle with us. Tomorrow sounds like it will be another rest day, but if we wake up to something unexpected, we'll rally and get our cache in. Fra Tomas: Gratulerer med dagen Sinnekka! Jeg elsker deg, din Tomas. Signing off, RMI Guides Pete Van Deventer, Jess Matthews, and Robby Young, and team

On The Map

We woke this morning to a quiet refugio but that didn't last long... The weekend hordes of locals would soon overwhelm the small refugio and unfortunately for us, the weather wasn't really cooperating for our planned day of training up on the glacier. Despite gusts to 50 mph and sideways drizzle we geared up and tried to make our way up towards the glacier. We didn't last long. After making our way up some 600 or 700 feet we were getting blasted by even stronger winds and getting wet to boot. We pulled the plug and headed back for cover, ultimately using a rock ridge for some protection. It was barely enough for us to get the training in we'll need for tonight's attempt at the Cayambe summit. Luckily, the wind is backing off a bit along with the crowds of day visitors and we are hoping both trends continue and allow us to make an honest crack at the summit. I'll check in tomorrow evening and let ya'll know how it went, RMI Guide Billy Nugent

On The Map

We awoke yesterday from our odd "hut" at the base of Ixtaccihuatl (a hut for sure, but surrounded by a peculiar number of antennae) to clear skies and a perfect view of our lady and her fuming lover, Popo. These two volcanoes picked up a dusting of new snow with the weather of the last few days and could not look more beautiful in their fresh duds. With a possible closing of this weather window the team launched towards high camp on Ixta, accompanied by grumbles from Popo as huge plumes of ash and steam spewed from the angry mountain. Ixta remained calm and welcoming to her respectful visitors. We made our camp and turned in for our first night up high on our host and awoke to perfect climbing conditions. As we climbed this anthropomorphic mountain, up and down the anatomy of a passionate princess of the past, we eventually found ourselves on the unsupported summit at sunrise. We can only assume that Popo admired our approach as he belched approval on our descent. It was quite a day and as we returned to the land of mortals in beautiful Puebla, a fresh blanket of clouds covered our hostess. We are grateful for the hospitality and look forward to resting in the lowlands of Puebla for a day. Perhaps Pico de Orizaba will shun the blanket for us mountain lovers from the North in a few days time. Put in a word for us will you? RMI Guide Jake Beren

We made a couple of stops along the route from the Plantation Lodge in the high country to Tarangire National Park down in the Rift Valley. We checked out a Maasai village where we saw traditional dances and chanting. The tribesmen showed us their method for building fire without matches and took us into their small huts to answer questions about the traditions that they follow. We then drove down to a busy afternoon in Tarangire. We began seeing elephants, right form the start. Herds of them... big family groups and gangs of bulls. Impalas, zebra and gnus were everywhere. We developed an eye for lilac breasted rollers and for vultures and snake eagles. Although we roamed over miles and miles of twisty, turny dirt roads, we didn’t see cats today... no lions, no leopards, no cheetahs. All the animals we did see had no problem whatsoever with the lack of cats though. As the sun began to sink, we pulled into Balloon Camp where our room assignments were “tent cabins” and where we needed to request an armed escort to get over to the lobby and dining area. We are still within the park and there aren’t any fences. There is a good deal of natural beauty though. Just after sunset, we watched “bush television” (a campfire) and gazed up at the Southern Cross and the Milky Way. Then we laughed through another fine dinner together and got ready for a final night in Africa. Best Regards, RMI Guide Dave Hahn